Information needs: post-crisis

Figure

Rehabilitation and recovery: Emergency response
organizations involved in the later phases of the disaster response should,
ideally, begin planning their longer-term activities even before emergency
conditions stabilize. The information needed for this process will vary with the
type of disaster and the intended response.

In general, a decision to begin longer-term activities requires
information on the damage generated by the disaster and the longer-term needs
inflicted upon the population. A grasp of the longer-term political, economic,
social, and environmental changes brought about by the disaster is also needed,
as is an understanding of the coping mechanisms which the affected population
still maintains.

In complex emergency situations, security is generally the major
concern of those beginning to plan and implement longer-term activities. The
emergency manager will continue to monitor such indicators as the current status
of tensions among ethnic groups or other factions; the status of local market
redevelopment, and the willingness of those displaced by conflict to return to
their points of origin. Other information which managers need before deciding to
implement rehabilitation or recovery programs includes: the level of political
will and resource availability for longer-term activities; host government
acceptance of or antipathy to longer-term activities; and the existence of other
more pressing emergencies which could place demands on scarce
resources needed by the rehabilitation or recovery programs.

Note:It is highly unlikely that all
affected areas and segments of a population affected by emergency will make
progress towards normalization at the same pace. More likely is the scenario in
which certain zones of the country are still beset by emergency conditions while
other areas make progress towards regaining their normal lives.

This is particularly true in complex emergency situations. In
such cases, ongoing efforts by assessment and monitoring teams must ensure that
emergency managers are aware of these critical population and geographic
distinctions so that targeting and the type of response can be fine-tuned as
needed.

Figure

Mitigation activities: Mitigation strategies, whose aim
is to reduce losses in the event of a future hazard occurrence, encompass a wide
range of activities, from infrastructure development - such as stronger and more
rigorously enforced building codes; flood-engineering; improved structural
resistance to high winds and earthquakes in non-engineered structures - to
measures such as improved detection systems and public education.

There are many different stakeholders in mitigation activities,
including the affected population; the business community; political
representatives and decision makers; the development and urban and rural
planning communities. Each of these groups needs to draw upon a common pool of
information, and each also has its own specialized information requirements.
Major contributions are made by engineers, technicians and scientists; the
insurance industry; the banking and investment industries; and the individual
activists and promoters of mitigation and preparedness measures who are often
drawn from all these groups and who advocate for improvements in safety.

The following table lists the menu of mitigation
actions explored in the DMTP Disaster Mitigation training
module. Included here as well are examples of the information needs of managers
charged with planning and implementing these actions:

· Degree of authorities
political will to implement mitigation measures· Understanding of government structures established to
plan, implement mitigation and preparedness activities· Availability of human and material resources for
training

5. Societal measures

· Degree of commitment (ie,
resources and time) devoted to public education (radio broadcasts, posters,
etc.) and drills· Degree of inclusion of
disaster education in public schools, meetings or other fora· Degree of participation of community in decisions
about mitigation activities

From the above table, it is clear that emergency managers have
an obvious stake in mitigation planning. Those activities which are likely to
reduce the impact of future hazards on emergency lifeline services - such as
measures to strengthen the hazard-resistance of telecommunications, medical, and
transport systems - clearly help to ensure a more timely, effective emergency
response. Mitigation planners and emergency managers can have much positive
impact by sharing information on the types of hazards likely to affect
particular regions of the country and the state of essential lifeline systems in
those regions which may require strengthening.

Note: Many of the above measures and
information needs clearly relate to natural disasters, particularly those listed
under Engineering and construction and Physical planning
measures. Certain components of the table can, as well, be applied to complex
emergency situations. Given that the root causes of many complex emergencies are
actual or perceived inequalities in the distribution of power, income, land, and
resources, then one can reasonably argue that actions taken to improve the
political economic and social development of the poor may well be
mitigating measures. That is, the very process of development is
itself the best means of mitigating the potential for conflict - and for the
eruption of a complex emergency situation.

The information needs of those who would seek to mitigate the
effects of potential complex emergencies are similar to those of development
workers. These include many of the needs listed in the table above as well as
information on the skills, organizational capacities, and social attitudes of
the population to be targeted by development assistance.

Q. Consider one of the disaster mitigation
projects in your own country. Which categories of information concerning this
project are likely to be of use to emergency response planners?